


tear me to pieces

by komkommertijd



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Outer Space, Spaceships, basically 1k of among us shenanigans, everyone is acting kinda sus, no graphic descriptions dw kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26901772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komkommertijd/pseuds/komkommertijd
Summary: Max frowns, plays with the string of his hoodie. It's not him, obviously, but he has no clue who to suspect now. Judging by the looks on the unsure faces of his crewmates, neither do they.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 46





	tear me to pieces

**Author's Note:**

> Can you tell that I've lost my will to exist? I have an exam in less than 8 hours, so this was a bit of a writing exercise to ease my own mind.
> 
> It's...certainly something I guess. Have fun :)
> 
> Unbetaed and not checked because this is what we do now - all other errors are to be blamed on my lack of knowledge of the English language, for which I can only apologize.
> 
> The title is from lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid.
> 
> (If you want, you can complain to me on [Tumblr](https://komkommertijd.tumblr.com/))

It all begins the day Carlos disappears.

Max doesn't quite remember the last time he's seen the other engineer but in the end, that doesn't matter. Lando reports the body he's found in the lower engine area on his daily morning stroll and Max's chest tightens with the bad feeling settling in. It's quiet at the table, with all of them squeezed together around the center one in the cafeteria. He watches the way Lewis's hand clenches around his tea mug, how Daniel's eyes nervously jump from one crewmate to the next, how Lando stares at the table, eyes empty, lips pressed together in a thin line. The shock is still visible in the way he swallows, once, twice, a third time before Lewis points out the obvious. Max feels bad about the unfortunate situation, as if he could've done something to prevent it.

There is someone in their group who betrayed them, someone who pretends to be someone they're not. There's no one but them on this space ship, the possible imposters are limited. Max frowns, plays with the string of his hoodie. It's not him, obviously, but he has no clue who to suspect now. Judging by the looks on the unsure faces of his crewmates, neither do they.

It's horrible, that feeling of not being able to trust anyone. For all Max knows, Lando could have killed Carlos and later reported it. He watches his own steps after their meeting, always staying aware of his surroundings, the people that pass him on his way, the possible chances to escape a situation when he fixes the reactor in the afternoon.

He's alone in the navigation room with George, downloading data. They shyly smile at each other, both of them aware that this is the worst scenario to die in. Max follows the way George fiddles with the remotes to fix their course while his data is still being transferred. They both leave the room after, still alive, still breathing, no less suspicious. 

The suspicion doesn't end anytime soon either, which Max blames on the next reported body. They're once again gathered in the cafeteria, around the table, eyeing each other with the knowledge that one of them just killed Antonio, that there's a killer among them who doesn't hesitate when he gets the chance. Max also knows that it couldn't have been George. Their eyes meet briefly, and George nods his head in a silent agreement to back Max up before the debate starts.

It's chaos after that.

Max doesn't dare to talk to anyone anymore, keeps his distance and does his tasks in quiet, eyes and ears wide open to react in case of an emergency. He flinches with every rumble in the vents, every step of someone approaching him, every tiny inconvenience. He cannot help it, the anxiety looms above all their heads and fills the rooms, thick in the air, too thin to grasp onto and get back under control. 

It's late at night when Max checks the security cameras. He can see Lando on his own in the cafeteria, fumbling with the wrapper of his sandwich, eyes darting around the room in red alert. He feels bad for the poor kid, it's not fair that they all have to go through this. There's nothing much else going on, only George walking through the hallway on his way to fix the shields, Pierre emptying the vents, Lewis working in the medic bay, where he analyses samples. 

Then, motion on the lower screen. Max feels his heartrate pick up speed when he watches someone familiar climb into the vents. Panic spreads through him in the matter of seconds, seeping through his veins and right into his bones, burning him alive.

Charles is the impostor.

Charles is the impostor.

"Charles is the impostor, I have to-"

There's a gun pointed straight at his head when he turns around in an attempt to get to Lando in time to call an emergency meeting. Charles is looking at him with no emotion other than triumph glinting in his eyes, holding on tightly to his weapon, not yet pulling the trigger. Max is quite literally looking into the face of death.

Someone has to warn them, tell them the truth, and save them before Charles can do even more damage. If only someone walked past, if Max could make enough noise to attract attention, if he could tell the others about his discovery. He's fucked, they all are, and the panic makes breathing hard.

He hears steps at the end of the hallway, familiar steps. Steps that have been giving him hope before, now a sign of safety and a happy ending all over again. He needs to get out of there, he has to warn them all and remove Charles from their spaceship before he gets to Lando or Pierre or George. 

"Daniel," he therefore calls out and immediately hears the rhythm of his steps speed up, approaching.

"Daniel, Charles is the impostor," and he hates how weak and desperate he sounds now, tears burning in his eyes, his whole body trembling. He's scared, more scared than ever before and the awareness that this is his only chance to be a hero, even if he has to pay for it himself, is almost too much to bear.

Daniel enters the scene and Max feels his muscles relax briefly, even if Charles doesn't lower the gun. The weird feeling doesn't go away.

What is unsettling about it, is how calm Daniel stays. He doesn't run, doesn't freak out, doesn't try to keep Charles from threatening Max. Instead, a smile slowly spreads on his face.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no.

"I know," Daniel replies when he pulls out his own gun to point it at Max, hands calm, slender finger wrapped around the trigger. He thinks of Lando and the team, how he's failed them, how they're continuing their work right at this moment without the horrific knowledge Max now has. It makes him feel nauseous, knees going weak, panic eating him alive.

In the emptiness of space and metal hallways, no one hears his desperate screams.


End file.
